News:
Many shoppers were determined to bag a bargain, regardless of what it was. Louise Haggerty, a hairdresser and waitress, shopping at 1am at a Sainsbury’s in north-east London, said: “I got a Dyson but I don’t even know if I want it. I just picked it up.” The 56-year-old said she had wanted a new flatscreen TV, “but so many people pushed in the queue, we didn’t have a chance. People were behaving like animals, it was horrible.”
At the same store, Andy Blackett, 30, an estate agent, had two trolleys full of bargains. “I got two coffee makers, two tablets, two TVs and a stereo,” he said. “I couldn’t tell you the prices, but I know they’re bargains.”
Ian Hopkins, Greater Manchester deputy chief constable, said the scenes at some Tesco stores were “akin to mini-riot”, with people trampling on each other. The fallout included three arrests and a shopper with a broken wrist. A security guard was also punched. Hopkins said, “People need to take a long, hard look at themselves and ask, what on Earth was I doing?” (Source: Guardian Newspaper, 29/11/14)
Comment:
The Black Friday extravaganza was imported from the US only two years ago to the UK but has captured the imagination of both retailers and shoppers. It is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the USA and its origins are alleged to be related to Slavery, where black slaves were sold at cheaper prices on this day. Although this origin is disputed, it has been circulating the social media to make people think and possibly boycott this event.
However many shoppers have been more concerned for the bargains they may miss out on if they do not partake.
Capitalism makes people feel they need things that they actually don’t. Huge advertising campaigns are used to make us identify certain products with a particular ‘successful’ life. Greed and excess is celebrated, so not matter what you have you can always have more. Material items are meant to make one feel happy and benefit gives people a sense of achievement, in this case bagging a bargain you don’t even need! Seeing individuals behave in a crazed way on Black Friday, should not come as a surprise as we live in a world which nurtures this behavior. As Muslims, we should be aware that this is the behavior we can expect from anyone who falls into the trap of trying to aspire to live the materialist western way of life. Things become the most important thing and trampling over others, fighting over items is justified to get what you want.
An Islamic society, under the Khilafah, will train people to see this dunya and all its pleasures as limited. People are allowed to enjoy life and have material items but these cannot become the most important things in life. The Media and Education system will train people to link all actions to the worship of Allah سبحانه وتعالى with Jannah as the supreme goal, not this limited life.
Islam recognizes mans needs and wants but channels them correctly, so life can be lived and enjoyed but not at the expense of our ultimate purpose
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاء وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ذَلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاللّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ
“Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire – of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return.”
(Aal-i-Imraan, 3:14)
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Nazia Rehman – Pakistan